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Eh? I can't move?
Kabuto, pinned to a stone pillar behind him, found that he couldn't mobilize any of the chakra in his body. He couldn't muster even a shred of strength.
But—
Kabuto tilted his head, ignoring the pain in his body, and looked at Kagaya.
"A genjutsu? Is this a genjutsu? I clearly released the Impure World Reincarnation! Why are you still here?! Why aren't you dead yet?!"
This makes no sense! My Impure World Reincarnation should be a technique with absolutely no risks! No matter how strong he is, once I release the Impure World Reincarnation, he should obediently accept death!
But—but—but—but!
Kabuto's gaze slowly shifted from calm to madness.
"Why are you still here?! Uchiha Kagaya!! Why are you still here?!"
A black rod extended to Kabuto's forehead. Now that Kabuto could no longer use chakra, this black rod only needed a gentle push forward, and Kabuto would die instantly.
Kagaya held the black rod and spoke.
"Didn't I tell you? Your Impure World Reincarnation technique is not perfect. You shouldn't have summoned someone you couldn't even control. I'll be generous and tell you—if an Impure World Reincarnation subject knows the hand seals of the Impure World Reincarnation, they can actively form the seals and release the summoning contract between themselves and the caster, becoming an independent individual. Your research in the Impure World Reincarnation is indeed impressive. Even I couldn't perform a large-scale Impure World Reincarnation like this. But it seems you never discovered this risk."
Kabuto stared wide-eyed at Kagaya. If what Kagaya said was true, then that meant—
"This—this means—"
The pain from his limbs was, in this moment, completely overshadowed by an icy chill in his heart.
Kagaya smiled faintly and spoke. "Yes. Your current outcome was determined the moment you took my Rinnegan, the moment you awakened me. Didn't you ever wonder—after I was awakened by you, why did I completely ignore you? Because, from the very moment I opened my eyes, I was already completely free of your control. The reason I didn't release the summoning contract earlier was simply to reverse-sense your location."
Kabuto shook his head ceaselessly. He, who considered himself perfect, couldn't accept this outcome.
"Impossible! How could the Impure World Reincarnation have such a huge risk?! This is a perfect technique! It should have no risks at all! It should have no risks at all!"
Kagaya found Kabuto somewhat incomprehensible. "Aren't you too obsessed with so-called perfection? Every ninjutsu in this world has more or less some flaws. And among them, forbidden techniques are the ultimate representatives. Most forbidden techniques, while possessing immense power, also carry tremendous flaws. Why would you think a forbidden technique has no flaws? But—never mind. I don't want to deal with your affairs. Now, return what's mine. Otherwise—"
The black rod in Kagaya's hand advanced slightly toward Kabuto's forehead.
"Otherwise, do you think you can take my eyes to the Pure Land? If you don't return them, I don't mind sending you to the Pure Land first, then resurrecting you through the Impure World Reincarnation, controlling you to reveal the Rinnegan's location. Heh. That way, we'd have swapped places, wouldn't we? However—you couldn't control the Impure World Reincarnation version of me, but I can absolutely control the Impure World Reincarnation version of you."
Kabuto looked at Kagaya and fell into deep thought.
Kagaya wasn't in a hurry. He was willing to give Kabuto a little time to think. After all, those were the Rinnegan. In the hands of someone who knew their value, it was only natural they wouldn't want to hand them over.
"Hey, are you called Uchiha Kagaya?"
But at that very moment, Itachi, behind Kagaya, spoke.
Kagaya turned his head and looked at Itachi.
"What is it? Something you need? You're about to return to the Pure Land. Aren't you going to use your remaining time to reminisce with your little brother?"
Itachi spoke with surprise.
"Hm? You know about me and my brother? No... that's not important. I indeed have very little time left. But there are still two things I must do. The first—I hope you can let me cast a genjutsu on Kabuto. I want to help correct his path. Incidentally, after I cast the genjutsu, you'll also be able to easily ask him about the thing you've been looking for."
Kagaya narrowed his eyes.
Izanami, huh? It seems he already started casting it earlier.
The Izanami technique didn't take effect immediately upon casting. To put it simply, the process of casting Izanami was like recording a video with a phone. Initially casting Izanami was like pressing the record button. Then, after a period of time, once the video was recorded, you cast it again to freeze the video. Then, the target would be forever trapped in the video just recorded, playing on repeat.
That metaphor might be slightly inaccurate, but the principle was correct. Izanami was essentially a ninjutsu similar to "recording a video."
So if Itachi had only just started casting Izanami now, there definitely wouldn't be enough time. After all, the Izanami "video" couldn't be too short. It needed at least a few minutes of process. And Itachi no longer had that much time.
But Itachi still said he wanted to cast a genjutsu on Kabuto. That could only be Izanami. And the fact that he could cast Izanami now meant that, long before Kagaya arrived, Itachi had already started casting it. Now, the "video" was nearing its end, and the stop button could be pressed.
After a moment's thought, Itachi's proposal held no disadvantage for Kagaya. He could ask about the Rinnegan's location while Kabuto was trapped in the genjutsu. That was enough. Kagaya's objective had always been only the Rinnegan.
"Fine."
Having obtained Kagaya's permission, Itachi said nothing. He looked at Kabuto. Then, the Mangekyo in his left eye gradually lost its color, turning a deathly white.
Kabuto was still wondering what genjutsu Itachi would cast on him. But he discovered—he hadn't changed at all?
Moreover, Kabuto's body was suddenly filled with strength. In a few swift moves, Kabuto broke free from the black rods' restraints.
Without daring to pause for even a moment, Kabuto fled into the darkness.
"Uchiha Kagaya! What you said just now must have been a lie, right?! No one would believe you! The Impure World Reincarnation is a technique without risks! I'll send you back to the Pure Land right now! Impure World Reincarnation: Release!"
Kagaya's body began to crumble. His soul began to leave his body. But Kagaya's gaze remained utterly calm.
"Perfect? Aren't you overestimating yourself? You are not perfect—neither you nor your techniques. One final warning: forbidden techniques are not toys for you to play with as you please."
Serpent—Ram—Boar—Dog—Tiger
Impure World Reincarnation: Release! More precisely, he released the summoning contract between himself and Kabuto.
Then, Kagaya grabbed Kabuto from the darkness and pinned him to the pillar with a black rod.
The scene was déjà vu.
But very quickly, from some unknown source of strength, Kabuto broke free from the black rods again and continued to fight Kagaya. Then he was pinned to the stone pillar by Kagaya's black rods again. And so it repeated, on and on, endlessly repeating.
As long as Kabuto refused to face himself, refused to admit he wasn't perfect, refused to admit the Impure World Reincarnation had risks, then Kabuto could never escape from Izanami.
In reality.
Kagaya quickly extracted the Rinnegan's location from the Kabuto trapped in the genjutsu. In the end, Kagaya found two small bottles inside the belly of a white snake—his Rinnegan.
Looking at the gastric fluids on them, Kagaya felt somewhat nauseated.
"Couldn't you have hidden them somewhere better? Why hide them in a snake's belly?"
Itachi's body was still crumbling. He looked at Kagaya and spoke.
"Uchiha Kagaya, I now have a second thing to do."
Kagaya put away the Rinnegan. Although somewhat nauseating, they were still his eyes—his Rinnegan. He couldn't possibly discard them.
"What is it? What's the second thing? I'm in a good mood right now, so I'll listen. But I won't necessarily help you."
Itachi stared at Kagaya with his one remaining Mangekyo.
"You said just now that you released the summoning contract with Kabuto, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then that means you've become an Impure World Reincarnation subject with an undying body, infinite chakra, and the ability to exist permanently?"
"Correct."
"May I ask—what will you do afterward? In this war, which side do you support?"
"I don't support either side at the moment. I have my own objective. Whoever can help me, I'll support them."
"I see. Then... I must stop you here! An existence like yours will add far too much danger to this war."
Kagaya raised his eyebrow at Itachi and asked. "With your current state?"
Itachi raised both hands. "I saw the hand seals you formed just now. Although I don't want to become a permanently existing living corpse, I must stop you right now."
With that, Itachi began forming hand seals.
Serpent—Ram—Boar—Dog—Tiger!
Impure World Reincarnation: Release!
The white light representing disappearance on Itachi's body gradually dimmed. His soul rapidly returned to his body.
He, too, had released the summoning contract with Kabuto.
Kagaya showed no surprise. "Learning it after seeing the hand seals once—for you, that's indeed simple. But then what? Do you think you can defeat me? The seal I formed only releases the summoning contract with the caster. It doesn't increase your strength."
A red Susanoo manifested around Itachi. "How will I know if I don't try?"
At the same moment, a purple Susanoo appeared on Sasuke behind him.
"That also makes you my enemy!"
Kagaya sighed. "Your primary abilities rely on ocular power. To be honest, the threat of the two of you combined isn't even as great as Kabuto alone. But—as it happens, I have nothing better to do. I'll play with you for a while."
A golden Susanoo rose from Kagaya's body.
In an instant, within the cavern, gold, red, and purple—three colors stood in opposition.
Over at the Fourth Division.
On the battlefield, corpses now littered the ground. Although in this timeline Kagaya had helped the Allied Shinobi Forces block Madara's two meteorites, in the battle after Madara's arrival, the Allied Shinobi Forces had still suffered casualties roughly comparable to the original story—extremely heavy losses.
This was only natural. After all, their opponent was Uchiha Madara. Kagaya could save the Allied Shinobi Forces, but no one else had that ability. The moment Kagaya left, Madara only needed to casually act, and basically everyone at Jonin level and below died.
At this moment, amidst the ruins of battle, Shikamaru, under the protection of the Five Kage, spoke in disbelief.
"Something's wrong! Everyone, be careful! He hasn't disappeared yet!"
Madara's body was radiating intense white light. Because Kabuto had released the Impure World Reincarnation, Madara's body had begun to crumble. The Five Kage had been rejoicing since earlier. But eerily, until now, Madara hadn't disappeared.
Shikamaru was the first to notice something was wrong. Madara was too calm!
Although in his perception, Madara's body was still crumbling, yet—
The Raikage also roared out.
"Why hasn't he disappeared?! The Impure World Reincarnation has clearly been released!"
Madara stood on a massive tree root and spoke.
"The so-called Impure World Reincarnation is a technique that summons the dead. But it has one risk."
"Risk?" Gaara spoke.
Shikamaru smiled bitterly.
"As I thought, something went wrong. I don't know what the risk is, but for us, it's probably not a good one. Ha. As expected of the Rinnegan, huh? It always has unexpected abilities."
Madara continued. "This is not the Rinnegan's ability. As long as one knows the hand seals, a deceased summoned from the Pure Land can release the Impure World Reincarnation's summoning contract."
"Release the contract?"
Madara teased. "Once that happens, you'll be in big trouble. Undying body, infinite chakra, free from the caster's control, able to act freely."
Madara was as if toying with the Five Kage, describing the worst situation they were about to face.
"Go tell the caster—forbidden techniques must not be abused."
Serpent—Ram—Boar—Dog—Tiger!
"Impure World Reincarnation: Release!"
The white light vanished from Madara's body. From this moment on, in this war, there appeared three Impure World Reincarnation subjects completely free from the caster's control: Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Madara, and Uchiha Kagaya.
Shikamaru couldn't even manage a bitter smile anymore. "This really is the worst possible situation. Troublesome as hell..."
Madara glanced around.
"Speaking of which, after releasing the Impure World Reincarnation, that Rinnegan fellow should have disappeared too, right? He shouldn't know the Impure World Reincarnation's hand seals. What a pity. I had rather looked forward to finding an opponent. Well... for now, I'll deal with you Five Kage first."
At this point, Madara paused, then mocked.
"But the so-called Five Kage are really just that, huh? I've only just prepared to use my full power, and you're already covered in wounds. How pathetic! Forget it. I've played enough. Next, I'll finish you off! Five Kage!"
Terrifying chakra instantly erupted from Madara's body.
Uchiha Madara, going all out!
BOOM!!
The red Susanoo was smashed into the stone wall of the cavern, causing the entire cavern to tremble.
Kagaya looked at the faint cracks on his Susanoo's arm and praised.
"Impressive. So this is the Totsuka Blade? Fast, powerful, and with a sealing effect. If I didn't have the Susanoo, I might actually be in a bit of danger."
In the original story, the Impure World Reincarnation Itachi had used the Totsuka Blade at extreme speed to pierce Nagato directly before Nagato could react, sealing him.
However, although both possessed the Rinnegan, Kagaya was not someone Nagato could compare to.
Standing within the golden Susanoo, Kagaya calmly clasped his hands together.
"Then how about trying this?"
A small black dot appeared from Kagaya's hands, then passed through the Susanoo and gradually rose into the sky.
Kagaya stood quietly within the Susanoo and smiled.
"This is my first time using this technique. Please test its effects for me. By the way, this technique is called—Planetary Devastation!"